Machine for shaping uppers over lasts



pril 9, 1940.

J. C. JORGENSEN MACHINE FOR SHAPING UPPERS OVER LASTS Filed May 11, 1939 kg g 3- 78 Fig.1.

Patented Apr. 9, 1940 UNITED STATES MACHINE FOR SHAPING UPPER-S )VER LASTS Jacob C. Jorgensen, Beverly, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 11, 1939, Serial No. 273,031

14 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for use in the manufacture of shoes for shaping uppers over lasts, and is herein illustrated as applied to a pulling-over machine of a well-known type exemplified by the disclosure of United States Letters Patent No. 1,029,387, granted on June 11, 1912 upon an application of R. F. McFeely. Such machines have been modified heretofore to adapt them better for use on stitchdown shoes by providing them with means whereby their upper-fastening tacks are driven in directions at substantial inclinations to the bottom face of the last and in locations substantially at the junction of the bottom of the last and the upper-shaping surface of the last, i. e., substantially at the extreme edge of the last bottom when, as usual with shoes of this type, there is no insole on the last at the time of the pulling-over operation, as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,916,275, granted on July 4, 1933 uponv an application of J. M. Matheu. This permits the margin of the upper to be readily turned outward and a sole. member to be applied against theoutturned margin while the tacks remain in the last. It will be evident that accuracy in the driving of the tacks precisely in these desired. locations depends upon the position of the tack-inserting means relatively to the last, not only widthwise of the last in the case, for example, of tack-inserting 30 means at the sides of the forepart, but also heightwise of the last. To provide for greater accuracy in locating the tacks in work of this kind, the work rest with which a machine of the illustrated type is provided for determining the position of the shoe and last heightwise in the pulling-over operation has been specially constructed heretofore as disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,985,256, granted on December 25, 1934 upon an application of mine.

An object of the present. invention is to provide for still greater accuracy, under varying conditions, with respect to the. locations of the upper-holding' fastenings. To this end, the construction herein shownis such that the tack 45 inserting mechanisms, which are movable inwardly toward the last relatively to the upperpulling means in directions transverse to the direction of the pull applied to the upper, are positioned both with respect to such inward move- 50 ments and also heightwise' of the last as determined by the shoe and last. Each tack-inserting mechanism comprises a guide for the tack carried by a support which moves it inwardly toward the last as above described, and associated with the tackguide is a member foryenga'ging the upper adjacent to the location of the tack to limit such inward movement thereof and an other member for also engaging the upper adjacent to the location of the tack to deflect the guide heightwise of the last relatively to its sup- 5 port to a position determined by the'shoe and last. Connecting the guide to its support in the construction shown are parallel links which permit it to be thus deflected without substantially altering the angular relation of the tackto the last, a spring'being provided againstthe resistance of which such deflection of the guide takes place. It will thus be seen. that the tack-inserting mechanism adjusts itself to the shoe and last regardless of the shape or position of the last.

In another aspect, the invention provides novel means for limiting .the driving ofeach fastening. so that regardless of the shape or position of the last the fastening will be driven a definite distance into the shoe and last. For this purpose, in the construction herein shown, there is associated with each tack guide a device arranged to act as a stop by engagement with a driver-opcrating member which is movable heightwise of the last, to limit the movement of this member, the device being deflected heightwise of the last with the guideso that its limiting position depends upon the position of the guide. As illustrated also this device is adjustable to vary if desired the distance the tack is driven.

The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described with reference to the ac companying drawing and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, I

Fig. 1 is a view from the front, with parts in section, of a portion of a machine in which the invention is. embodied, comprising means for pulling and fastening the upper at the opposite sides of the forepart, the parts being shown in the positions which they occupy at the end of the tack-driving operation;

Fig. 2 shows a portion of the structure at the left-hand side of Fig. 1 as viewed in the direction of the arrows II on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to the right-hand portion of Fig. 1, showing the parts in their relation to a stitchdown shoe when, as is sometimes the case, an insole is mounted on the last at the time of the'pulling-over operation. v

In view' of the disclosures in the previously mentioned Letters Patent, only such parts of the machine as it is necessary to refer to for an understanding of the invention are shown in the drawing and will be described in detail. For positioning the last heightwise and supporting it against the pull applied to the upper the machine is provided with a work rest 2 which engages the bottom of the last itself when, as shown in Fig. 1, there is no insole on the last at the time of the pulling-over operation. This work rest cludes a pair of presser feet 4 which engage the last near the sides of the forepart and another presser foot (not shown) which engages it near the end of the toe. The upper is pulled over the last by a pair of side grippers 6 and by another gripper (not shown) at the end of the toe, the several grippers being operated yieldingly by levers one of which is shown in section at 8. The operator presents the work with the bottom of the last in engagement with the work rest feet 4 and with the margin of the upper materials within the open gripper jaws, and upon the starting of the machine the grippers close on the upper and pull it heightwise of the last, the machine then coming to a stop with the upper held under tension. When the machine is again started, side clamp members H) are swung inwardly to the positions illustrated in Fig. 1 to support the last in the upper fastening operation. In the continued operation of the machine fastening-inserting mechanisms are moved inwardly in directions transverse to the direction of the pull of the grippers on the upper into positions to operate on the shoe. The fastening-inserting mechanisms at the opposite sides of the forepart are supported by arms I2, one of which is shown in Fig. 1, these arms being mounted at their upper ends for swinging movements laterally of the shoe. It will be understood that there is a corresponding arm mounted to swing lengthwise of the shoe and carrying mechanism for inserting a fastening at the end of the toe, although this fastening is frequently omitted in stitchdown work. As the several arms are swung inwardly to carry the fasteninginserting mechanisms toward the shoe they cause the grippers to release the upper by engagement with fingers l4 thereon, the grippers then swinging inwardly to provide clearance for the arms. After the driving of the fastenings the parts are returned to their starting positions and the shoe is released,

In the construction herein shown provision is afforded for driving a single fastening at each side of the forepart, although it will be understood that by the use of additional fastening-inserting mechanisms on the side arms I2 other fastenings may be driven if desired. Each fastening-inserting mechanism includes a plate [6 supported as hereinafter described on the arm l2, and mounted on a downwardly extending portion of this plate are two tack fingers l8, these fingers being clamped yieldingly in recesses in the opposite sides of the plate by a spring 20. The inner end portions of these fingers are held normally in contact with each other by the spring and are recessed to provide a tack pocket and to serve as a guide from which the tack is driven in the required direction through the upper and into the last. The relation of the fingers l8 to the plate l6 may be better understood by reference to Letters Patent No. 1,280,613, granted on October 1, 1918 upon an application of Orrell Ashton. For operating on stitchdown work the tack fingers are so formed as to guide the tack inv guideways 26 in the plate. to the tack pocket through a passage 28 in the in a direction at a substantial inclination to the bottom face of the last, and as hereinafter described they are so positioned in the tack-driving operation that the tack is located substantially at the junction of the bottom face and the upper-shaping surface of the last, i. e., substantially at the extreme edge of the bottom face of the last. The tack is driven by a driver 22 movable in a driver passage in the plate [6 in alinement with the tack pocket in the fingers l8, the driver being fastened to a block 24 movable along The tack is delivered plate It when the driver is retracted, this passage communicating with the driver passage and alining with a tack delivery tube 36 when the arm I2 is in its initial position. For operating the driver a driver bar 32 is movable as heretofore along a guideway in the arm I2 and is provided at its lower end with an outwardly extending forked portion 34 between the forks of which lies a pin 36 carried by the block 24. It will thus be seen that when the driver bar 32 is moved downwardly the driver is operated to drive the tack. Such movement is imparted to the driver bar by a member 38 operated at the proper time by a spring (not shown) in the manner disclosed in Letters Patent No. 1,082,487, granted on December 30, 1913 on an application of Arthur Bates.

The inward swinging movement of each side arm l2 to carry the fastening-inserting mechanism thereon toward the shoe is limited by engagement of a bumper 40 carried by the plate IS with the side of the shoe, the bumper being located immediately below the tack fingers 18. The bumper preferably comprises a block of comparatively hard leather mounted on a holder 42 which has a stem 44 slidingly mounted in a bore in the downwardly extending portion of the plate I 6. Threaded on a diametrically reduced end portion of the stem 44 is a nipple 46 which lies in a slot in the plate l6 and is prevented from moving endwise by the engagement of its opposite ends with the plate. A stem 48 extends from the nipple 46 through an opening in the plate l6 and has in its outer end a slot to receive a screw driver. It will thus be seen that the nipple 46 may be turned to adjust the bumper 4U inwardly or outwardly and thus to vary the position laterally of the shoe to which the tack fingers I 8 are carried by the swinging of the arm l2. A spring-pressed pin 50 mounted in the plate IB has a rounded end arranged to enter one or another of a plurality of shallow recesses 52 in the nipple 46 to hold the nipple against accidental turning movement while permitting it to be turned at any time in the manner above described.

It will be evident that accurate location of the tack in the relation to the last hereinbefore described depends not only upon the position of the above-mentioned tack-guiding fingers l8 laterally of the shoe, but also upon their position heightwise of the shoe. Provision is accordingly afforded in the construction herein shown for positioning the fingers in this respect also as determined by the portion of the shoe and last where the task is driven. For this purpose the plate l6 which carries the fingers I8 is movably supported on the arm [2 and is deflected heightwise of the shoe in the direction of the pull of the grippers on the upper to a position determined by the shoe as the arm is swung inward- 1y. H Secured to the lower end portion of the arm i2 is a plate 54 (Figures 2' and 3) in which are slideways 56 for flanges formed on another plate 58 the position of which is determined by a pin 60 mounted on the plate 54 and lying in'a slot 62. in the plate 58. Secured to the plate 54 is an L-shaped bracket 64 in which is threaded a screw 65 acting through a small block 68 on the outer end of the plate 58 to hold the plate securely in the position determined by the pin 60. Mounted in holes in twooutwardly extending spaced arms ll) of the plate 58- are the reduced threaded ends of studs 12 on which are nuts M whereby the studs are held in fixed relation to the arms. Pivotally mounted at their outer ends on these studs are parallel links 16 which may swing in recesses formed in the plate 58, and the inner ends of these links carry pins 18 which pivotally connect them to the plate I6. The studs I2 extend through slots 80 in the plate l8 and are provided with heads 82 which overlap the plate to hold it in place. Mounted in the plate I6 is a spring 84 the upper end of which bears against a plunger 86 engaged by a bracket 88 fast on the plate 58. Accordingly the spring M tends to force the plate [6 downwardly, and initially the plate is'in a position determined by engagement of the studs 12 therewith at the upper ends of the slots 80. Carried by the plate [6 is a member 90 portions of which are secured in slots in the opposite sides of the plate, this member having a downwardly extending forked portion located opposite the ends of the tack fingers l8 and having an inclined face 92 arranged to be engaged by the upper adjacent to the location of the tack to deflect the member and the plate I6 upwardly against the resistance of the spring 84 near the end of the inward swinging movement of the'arm l2. It will thus be seen that the inner tack-guiding ends of the fingers 18 are not only positioned laterally of the shoe by the bumper 40 but are also positioned heightwise of the shoe by the member 90. As the plate I6 is thus deflected heightwise of the shoe it moves relatively to the driver 22, the pin 36 being displaced slightly along the forks 34 of the 1 driver bar 32. When the arm I2 is swung outconstruction, clears Wardly away from the shoe after the tack-driving operation the member 90, by reason of its forked the portion of the tack which projects from the shoe without disturbing it.

It will be evident that if the limit of operative movement of the driver bar 32 were always the same regardless of the position of the plate [6 and its tack fingers l8, tacks would sometimes be driven farther into the work than at other times. To prevent such variation in the driving of different tacks, the construction is further such that the limit of operative movement of the bar 32 depends upon the position of the plate l6 heightwise of the shoe. For this purpose there is mounted in a slot 94 in one side of the plate a block 96 having an inclined upper face 98 ar-- a similarly inclined lower face on the lower fork 34 of the driver bar to limit the movement of the bar. Since the block 96 is deflected heightwise of the shoe with the tack ranged to engage fingers IS, the limit of movement of the driver bar bears a constant relation to these fingers. The block '95 is, however, adjustable along the slot 94 to vary as desired the limit of movement of the bar and thus to vary the distance tacks are driven into the work. The block is held in adjusted position by a bolt 98 and nut I00. This limiting means is efiective in place of the bumper 102 which has heretofore limited the movement of the driver bar by engagement with theupper end of the arm l2. It. will be noted that as the parts are shown in Fig. 1 the bumper [02 is spaced from the upper end of the arm l2 although the driver bar 32 is at the limit of its operative movement.

Tack-inserting mechanism like that above described as mounted on each of the side arms I2 is preferably mounted on the front arm for fastening the upper at the end of the toe. It will be understood that the bumper 40 of that mechanism will engage the end face of the upper. If it is not desired to drive any tack at the. end of the toe, as is sometimes the case in operating on stitchdown shoes, the feeding of tacks to the mechanism on the front arm will be interruptedas heretofore.

Fig. 4 illustrates the relation of one of the tack-inserting mechanisms to a shoe of the stitchdown type when, as is sometimes the'practice, an insole is positioned on. the last at the time of the pulling-over operation. It will be understood that in this case the operations are the same as hereinbefore described, except that the tacks are driven in locations substantially at the extreme edge of the bottom face of the insole. Since these tacks serve not only to hold the upper, but also to anchor the margin of the insole to the last, it is particularly important that they be driven accurately in proper relation to thereof may be advantageously utilized in machines which operate on shoes of other kinds and drive fastenings in locations spaced substantial distances inwardly from the edge of the shoe bottom.

Having described the invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is? 1. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination with means for pulling an upper over a last heightwise of the last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening in a location substantially at the extreme edge of the bottom of the last or of an insole on the last and in a direction inclined to the bottom of the last to hold the upper, said mechanism being movable relatively to the upper-pulling means in a direction transverse to the direction. of the pull on the upper to a position determined by the shoe and last and including a guide for the fastening arranged to be deflected heightwise of the last in the direction of the pull on the upper to a position also determined by the shoe and last toassist in locating the fastening in proper relation to the last or the insole.

2. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination with means for pulling an upper over a last heightwise of the last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening in a location substantially at the extreme edge of the bottom of the. last or of an insole on the last and in a direction inclined to the bottom of the last to hold the upper, said mechanism being movable toward the last relatively to the upper pulli'ng' means in a direction transverse to the direction of the pull on the upper and including a guide for the fastening, and means for engaging the upper adjacent to the location of the fastening to limit the'movement of said mechanism toward the last and to deflect said-guide heightwise of upper-pulling means in a dlrectlon transverse to the last in the direction of the pull on the upper to a position determined by the shoe and last.

3. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination with means for pulling an upper over a last heightwise of the last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening in a location substantially at the extreme edge of the bottom of the last or of an insole on the last and in a direction inclined to the bottom of the last to hold the upper, and a support for said mechanism movable relatively to the upper-pulling means in a direction transverse to the direction of the pull on the upper to carry the mechanism to a position determined by engagement with the upper, said mechanism including a guide for the fastening arranged to be deflected by the last and its shoe materials heightwise of the last relatively to said support in the direction of the pull on the upper to assist in locating the fastening in proper relation to the last or the insole.

4. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination with means for pulling an upper over a last heightwise of the last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening in a location substantially at the extreme edge of the bottom of the last or of an insole on the last and in a direction inclined to the bottom of the last to hold the upper, a support for said mechanism movable relatively to the upper-pulling means in a direction transverse to the direction of the pull on the upper to carry the mechanism to a position determined by the shoe and last, said mechanism including a guide for the fastening imovable relatively to said support heightwise of the last, a member movable with said guide and arranged to be engaged by the upper adjacent to the location of the fastening to deflect the guide heightwise of the last in the direction of the pull on the upper to a position determined by the shoe and last, and a spring against the resistance of which the guide is thus deflected.

5. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination with means for pulling an upper over a last heightwise of the last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening to hold the upper, said mechanism being movable relatively to the upper-pulling means in a direction transverse to the direction of the pull on the upper to a position determined by the shoe and last and including a driver and a guide for the fastening arranged to be deflected heightwise of the last relatively to the driver in the direction of the pull on the upper to a position also determined by the shoe and last.

6. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination with means for pulling an upper over a last heightwise of the last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening to hold the upper, said mechanism being movable relatively to the the direction of the pull on the upper to a position determined by the shoe and last and including a driver and a guide for the fastening, and a member connected to said guide and movable inwardly over the bottom of the last in engagement with the upper to deflect the guide heightwise of the last relatively to the driver in the direction of the pull on the upper to a position also determined by the shoe and last.

7. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination with means for pulling an upper over a last heightwise of the last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening to hold the upper,

a support for said mechanism movable relatively to the upper-pulling means in a direction transverse to the direction of the pull on the upper to carry the mechanism toward the last, said mechanism including a guide for the fastening movable relatively to said support heightwise of the last and a driver for driving the fastening, and means controlled by portions of the shoe adjacent to the location of the fastening for limiting the movement of said mechanism toward the last and for deflecting said guide heightwise of the last relatively to said support and driver in the direction of the pull on the upper to a position determined by the shoe and last.

8. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination with means for pulling an upper over a last heightwise of the last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening to hold the upper, a support for said mechanism movable relatively to the upper-pulling means in a direction transverse to the direction of the pull on the upper to carry the mechanism toward the last, a member movable with said mechanism into engagement with the upper to limit its movement toward the last, the mechanism including a driver and a guide for the fastening arranged to be deflected heightwise of the last relatively to said support and driver in the direction of the pull on the upper to a position determined by the shoe and last, and a spring against the resistance of which the guide is thus deflected.

9, In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination with means for pulling an upper over a last heightwise of the last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening to hold the upper, a support for said mechanism movable in a direction transverse to the direction of the pull on the upper to carry the mechanism toward the last, said mechanism including a guide for the fastening, and parallel links connecting said guide and support to permit movement of the guide heightwise of the last relatively to the support, the guide being thus movable heightwise of the last under control of the shoe to a position determined by the shoe and last.

10. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination with means for pulling an upper over a last heightwise of the last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening to hold the upper, a support for said mechanism movable relatively to the upper-pulling means in a direction transverse to the direction of the pull on the upper to carry the mechanism toward the last to a position determined by the shoe and last, said mechanism including a guide for the fastening, parallel links connecting said guide and support to permit movement of the guide heightwise of the last relatively to the support, and means movable inwardly over the bottom of the last in engagement with the upper for deflecting said guide heightwise of the last in the direction of the pull on the upper to a position also determined by the shoe and last.

11. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination with means for pulling an upper over a last heightwise of the last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening to hold the upper, said mechanism being movable toward the last in a direction transverse to the direction of the pull on the upper and including a guide for the fastening arranged to be deflected heightwise of the last in the direction of the pull on the upper to a position determined by the shoe and last, a member movable heightwise of the last to drive the fastening, and means into contact with which said member is thus movable for limiting its I said guide, a member movable heightwise of the 12. In a machine for shaping uppers, over lasts,

the combination with means for pulling an upper over a last heightwise of the last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening to hold. the upper, said mechanism being movable toward the last in a direction transverse to the direction of the pull on the upper and comprising a guide for the fastening arranged to be deflected heightwise of the last in the direction of the pull on the upper to a position determined by the shoe and last and also a driver for driving the fastening from last to operate the driver, and a device arranged vto be deflected heightwise of the last with said guide for engaging said member to limit the operative movement'of the driver in accordance with the position of the guide heightwise of the last.

13. In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination With means for pulling an upper over a last heightwiseof. the last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening to hold the upper, said mechanism being movable toward the lastin a direction transverse to the direction of the pull on the upper and comprising a guidefor the fastening and a' driver for driving the fastening from said guide, means arranged to be engaged by the upper to deflect said guide heightwise of the last relatively to the driver to a position determined by the shoe and last, and means for limiting the movement of the driver as determined by the position of said guide heightwise of the last.

14- In a machine for shaping uppers over lasts, the combination with means for pulling an upper over a last heightwise of the. last, of mechanism for inserting a fastening to hold the upper, said mechanism being movable toward the last in a direction transverse to the direction of the pull on the upper and comprising a guide for the fastening and a driver for driving the fastening from said guide, means arranged to be engaged by the upper to deflect said guide heightwise of the last relatively to the driver to a position determined by the shoe and last, a member movable heightwise of the last to operate the driver, and

a device arranged to be deflected heightwise ofthe last with said guide for limiting the operative movement of said member in accordance with the position of the guide heightwise of the last,

said device being also adjustable to vary the limit of movement of said member.

JACOB c. JORGENSEN. 

